An Aquaintance
by the-vampire-act
Summary: 3-Chapter Flashback Series. Neal and Reid met before, and they have Mozzie to thank for that. Note:Taken from an idea from my deleted story  'The FBI's Pawn'.
1. Strategic Planning

**"…So, as you've probably figured out by now, my story 'The FBI's Pawn' was deleted. I apologize for that, but it wasn't just me giving up on the story. I got one of those wonderful emails from FanFic saying it was deleted. I don't know what happened, but it's not coming back up. So, I offer you this OneShot centering around one of the main ideas of 'Pawn': Reid, Neal, and Mozzie know each other from more than just the case their team's worked together. This will be a flashback series of 3, the first one being from when Neal and Reid met and so on. Once more, I apologize, but it wasn't my fault! Hope you guys like this. And you should know this wasn't my original meeting plan with Mozzie, Neal, and Reid, but it won't work w/o 'Pawn'…"**

_Las Vegas, Nevada: 16 Years Ago_

An Acquaintance:

Strategic Planning

Spencer Reid ran out the door as the man behind him yelled and followed after him. "Get back here!" he hissed. Spencer kept running forward, though, gaining pace rapidly. He had snuck in to a casino with fifty dollars and the goal of more than tripling the price. His father's alimony and his mother's paycheck working at the university two days a week weren't cutting it anymore. He still needed more money for food, the house payment, the electricity bill, and all the other essentials the paid for. He had snuck into the casino many times before without being caught, but when they did a security sweep, they found him playing slots and virtual poker games. He had managed to take six hundred dollars of his earnings, and he could only hope that it was enough. As he ran through the streets of Las Vegas, he held on to the money tightly and prayed that he wouldn't get caught.

Suddenly, he heard someone hiss, "Come here, kid! I can help you!" Having no other choice, Spencer turned sharply and jumped into the black car. He could see that the man was bald- by choice; he presumed- with thick-rimmed black glasses and a casual but yet still classy trench coat and plain white shirt. He smiled at Spencer when he saw him look up at him. Spencer quickly looked away, though, still unsure where he should put his trust.

"It's okay, kid. My name's Mozzie, and I'm here to help you. I saw you running from those men back there; what did you do?"

"I…I…." Spencer stuttered, not sure if he should tell the stranger.

"You can trust me. I'm not the bad guy."

"I was running from the casino guards. I…. I snuck in. I need more money for bills." Spencer said, his voice small.

"I can help you." Mozzie responded. "You won't have to go back to sneaking into casinos anymore."

"How are you going to help me?" Spencer asked, obviously still on the edge.

"I can get you a…job." Mozzie started. "It'll be safer, and you won't be alone.'

"You'll be there?"

"In a sense, yes."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Strategic planning, I suppose you could call it."

"And what does that mean?"

Mozzie paused for a moment before continuing. Finally, he sighed and looked at Spencer through the mirror. "You should know I'm a criminal."

"I figured as much." Spencer commented.

"And you should know that I don't hurt children." He added. Spencer stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. "Another kid works with me. He'll be working with you now. His name is Neal, and he's a lot like you. Both of his parents' are dead, though. He has no one, and the Suits tried to put him in foster care."

"Who are the Suits?" Spencer asked.

"The Feds." Mozzie answered.

"Is…is Neal nice?"

"Yeah, he is nice." Mozzie replied, a frown forming on his face. "Why would you ask that?" Spencer didn't answer, though. "Did they hurt you, the kids?" Spencer just nodded shyly. He crossed his arms over his chest protectively and looked out the window. "Don't worry about them, kid. They're just immature idiots who don't have a quarter amount of the smarts you and I do."

'I know." Spencer nodded. 'Mozzie' scared him a little, but he was still eager to meet Neal. He sounded smart, and he doubted that he would try to hurt him like the other kids.

Mozzie smiled at Spencer one more time before the car stopped, and he motioned for him to get out. Spencer followed closely behind Mozzie as he was lead into an abandoned warehouse, where he was sure he had a secret hide-out where he would be 'working' with Neal.

They climbed a few stairs cases until they reached the very top, where a large room decorated with a variety of paintings, scarce furniture, and a hardwood floor lay. A young boy who looked about ten was sitting at a table surrounded by security lay-outs. He looked up at Mozzie and Spencer with a smile on his face.

"Hey Neal, this is…uh…"

"Spencer." The kid supplied. "You must be Neal."

"Yeah, I'm Neal." The boy smiled. "Are you here to help?"

"I…suppose so." Spencer nodded.

"Neal, Spencer needs some help paying bills for his family, so he will be helping plan the next heist. He won't be staying with us, but he will be here o occasion."

"Heist? What kind of heist?" Spencer asked.

"A Paint Heist." Neal replied.

"You're art thieves?"

"It's…a little more complicated than that." Mozzie sighed. "If you want out-" But Spencer cut him off.

"No, I trust you." Spencer said. "Whatever you're doing, I know you'll keep me safe, and if I continue running from casinos, I doubt I will be."

"I appreciate that." Mozzie said, his voice sounding serious. "I won't hurt you, and neither will Neal." With that, Mozzie left the room, heading off to some unknown destination. Spencer walked over to Neal and sat down opposite of him. Neal looked out and passed him a pen.

"Mozzie has to steal back a painting from Kennith Harris. He's a bad man, and he needs to be caught. If we can steal the painting and put it back in its exhibit, the police can dust it for prints and catch him." Neal quickly explained. "This map is a blue-print of his loft we need to find a way to by-pass security and get out quickly."

Spencer glanced at the map and immediately saw the path they needed to take and the ones they needed to avoid. With a smile on his face, he turned to Neal.

"I have a plan."

**"…Well, not what I wanted, but I felt I needed to at least explre their experiences from the past since I can't write more of 'Pawn' for whatever reason! R&R?.."**


	2. Splitting Up

"…**I'll be honest- I forgot about this one ;( Well, here's an update..! Oh, and someone said Neal is older than Reid, and he is in this story too…"**

An Acquaintance-Chapter 2

Splitting Up

Spencer Reid had been working with Neal and Mozzie for a year before he met Kate, and when he did, he all ready suspected Neal's feelings for her. Whenever he tried to bring up the topic, though, Neal would quickly deny liking Kate and change the topic. But one day, when Neal and Spencer decided to wander the town together, he couldn't avoid it any longer.

"Hey Neal, why won't you just tell Kate you like her?"

"It's not that easy." Neal grumbled. He jumped in front of Spencer and quickly opened a door to a new shop when he saw his friend pressing the matter more. Spencer recovered quickly, though, and he jogged to catch up with Neal. "Oh crap." He muttered.

"What?" Spencer asked. Neal pointed toward the corner of the store where the jewelry laid. Spencer immediately looked in that direction and smiled. "Do you know the statistics of this happening? I mean, this is Las Vegas; there are millions of places to go! And the odds that we were just talking about her or that she let her house period-"

"Slim, I know Spencer." Neal sighed. "Listen, we're going to turn around now, and-"

"Hey Kate!" Spencer called. The girl turned around and smiled at the duo before walking toward them.

"Thanks Spencer, I appreciate that." Neal praised sarcastically.

"Would it help if I told you that she liked you, too?" Neal turned back to look at his younger friend, a mixture of surprise and hopefulness crossing his features.

"She does…?" But the only response he was offered was a quick smile and a wave good-bye. Before Kate reached the place they were standing, Spencer had all ready left the shop.

"Hi… Kate." Neal smiled. "What are the odds of us running into each other here?"

~**TVA**~

Later that week, Neal, Kate, and Spencer were summoned upon Mozzie's request to his makeshift house. As they waited for Mozzie to come, Kate leaned over to Spencer and smiled. "Thank you; I thought he'd never ask!" she squealed.

"Someone had to play match-maker." Spencer smirked. Kate smiled again before they heard a door slam shut. They quickly silenced themselves and waited for Mozzie to join them. They frowned as he walked forward, a solemn but serious look on his face.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." He started. "We have to leave… by tomorrow."

"What, where?" Neal asked.

"Well, why?" Kate frowned.

"We have to go to New York. The local cops are on to us. Apparently, someone caught us sneaking out and alerted the suits. They haven't found us yet, but they will."

"I…I can't leave Las Vegas." Spencer said. "My mother's here, and it would look too suspicious if I just left, and there's no way that we can get me out of Las Vegas without alerting the police's attention."

"He's right, Moz." Neal sighed. "He has to stay." 

"I'm sorry, Spencer." Mozzie sighed. "You're both right, though. I could-"

"No, you need to leave." Spencer said. "You're helping Neal and Kate, and I can't risk them getting caught and put into 'the system' by having you guys stay for me. They need you more than I need you; I'll manage."

"Spencer, I'll… I'll miss you." Kate whispered.

"Stay out of trouble, all right?" Mozzie said. He was still upset that he'd have to leave him behind; he had liked Spencer, and he worked well with Neal and Kate.

"I'll try- I promise." Spencer nodded.

Kate reached forward and hugged Spencer. Before anyone could see what she was doing, she placed something in his pocket. "Keep it with you; you never know when you'll need it." She whispered. Spencer nodded his head as she pulled away, a sad smile on her face.

"We'll keep in touch, Spencer." Mozzie said. "I'll make sure you're okay."

"I know you will, Moz." Spencer smiled.

After one last round of good-bye's, Spencer left the 'warehouse' so they pack everything up and prepare for the morning flight. As Spencer walked back toward his house, he pulled out the item that Kate had placed in his pocket. He turned it over in his hands before he smiled. He knew that he would be seeing his friends again, but them item in his hands made the long and short periods of time where he wouldn't see them more bearable. Before he knew it, Spencer was walking into his house unnoticed and creeping up to his bedroom. He sat the new treasure down on the pillow next to him and let his mind go blank. After a few minutes, Spencer fell to sleep with it in his hands.

"…**Who wants to guess what it was? I know you want to! One more left; YAY! I really hope you guys liked it, and I apologize for that HUGE wait! It shouldn't be that long again, though. I promise..!" **


	3. Things Change

**"…I wanted to update this sooner, but things got in the way ;( . You should know that I tried reposting The FBI's Pawn numerous times, but they just won't let me! I WILL write another CM/WC fic, but it won't be until next year. Hope you guys like this final chap! R&R…?"**

An Acquaintance-Chapter 3

Things Change

4-5 Years after 'The Split'

Spencer Reid had been in college for close to two years before he heard the knock on his door that would change his life. As the young teen opened the door, he frowned.

"Hello, sir. My name is SSA Jason Gideon, and I work for a unit of the FBI called the BAU, the behavioral-"

"The behavioral analysis unit." Spencer nodded. "Yes, I've heard of you before. I actually attended a lecture you attended on-campus a few weeks ago." The younger man moved out of the way so Agent Gideon could enter his dorm room.

"Spencer, I think you know why I'm here." Gideon smiled.

Spencer smiled back as he sat down opposite of the older man. "So, how much am I worth to the FBI? I've been offered more jobs than I thought even existed with steep paychecks and easy enough work…."

"But it isn't about the money with you, is it?"

"It doesn't take a profiler to figure that much out." Spencer smirked.

~ *AA*~

A Few hours later, Gideon left Spencer's dorm room on a 'good note'. The college student seemed interested enough in the job and he had much potential. He was sure that he could get him to join on his own will, and he walked away smiling because of it. The only issue they had was the age. Spencer wasn't even 18 yet, but he was positive that he could get Spencer in to the BAU a bit earlier if necessary.

Suddenly, a man with a black fedora and piercing blue eyes accidentally bumped into him. The younger man quickly apologized, so Gideon weaned off any suspicion. The man continued on his way casually until he was out of sight from Gideon. He brought out the piece of paper he had lifted from his pocket and flipped it open. A soft laugh escaped his lips as he read the note to himself. Finally, he reached his final destination, and he rung the doorbell.

A skinny young man with longish, curly hair answered the door with a tight smile on his face. When he realized whom the other man was, his smile grew more genuine, and the blue-eyed man entered the dorm room.

"So little Spencer's joining the FBI?" Neal smirked. When he saw the questioning look on his old friend's face, he tossed him the paper he had lifted from Gideon. "Congrads; you must have made quite an impression on him. You're number one on his recruiting list."

"Yeah, well, things changed." Spencer nodded. "I've been out of crime for a while now, and I have some changes to make with my life." He paused for a minute and looked over his friend's new look. A more classic Neal compared to kid Neal, he supposed, but even as a child Neal always dressed up a little more than the rest of them. After sizing him up, Reid started up again. "How's Kate?"

"In and out." Neal sighed. "It's hard for us to stay together these days, but we're making it work. We're still in New York, but she left for a few weeks for a, uh, business trip."

"But you two are still together, right?" Reid called as he entered his kitchen to get a glass of water for his friend to drink. A few seconds later, he reentered and Neal silently thanked him.

"Yeah, we're still together." he nodded. "Like I said, it's hard, but we make it work."

There was a comfortable silence between the two friends as they sipped on their water and silently observed each other, although neither of them would admit to the latter. Finally, Spencer cleared his throat and Neal looked up.

"I suppose you want to know what this is about?" Neal guessed.

"You've called before- emailed, sent letters…. But a face-to-face is risky for both of us. This has to be important." He nodded.

"You always were smart." Neal smiled, but his grin quickly evaporated. He couldn't afford to waste any more time, and he knew that all-too well. The sudden change in behavior immediately caught up to Spencer, and he straightened up his posture, obviously afraid of what Neal might say. 'With good reason,' Neal thought. "Something's happened to Mozzie…. And I need your help."

"What happened?" Spencer asked. He was worried now; Mozzie was a good person, and he owed him a lot. If he was in trouble, he'd do anything he could to help his friend.

"He's in the hospital right now. He… he caught a bad case of pneumonia a few weeks ago, and the doctors treated him for it. He's better now, and he can be released, but they're starting to ask questions. Mozzie told me to stay a safe distance away from the hospital; he didn't want anyone recognizing me or looking me up in the system. They won't release him until they find family, though, and if they start asking around, something's bound to spill up. We can't risk that, and we need your help making sure that doesn't happen."

Neal didn't want to drag his friend into his mess, but he knew he didn't have any other options left. Spencer was trying to create a new life, a better life, and Neal could understand and appreciate that. He felt horrible for asking Spencer to come back to New York with him after how hard he had worked to get to where he currently was, but he also knew how much Mozzie meant to the younger man.

Spencer knew that he didn't have to help him, but he wanted to. Mozzie had been so good to him when he was a child, and it was the least he owed him. He nodded at his friend and told him that he would help. Since he had the rest of the week off from school anyways, he wouldn't have to worry about missing any lessons or tests. In fact, Neal's timing was perfect- right now was the only time in the foreseeable future where he could go fly to New York.

"Thank you Spencer; you don't know how much this means to me." Neal said.

"Mozzie's my friend, too. I want to help him." Spencer nodded. "What time is our flight?"

"In two hours." Neal smirked.

"Jerk." Spencer muttered as he rushed to his bedroom.

His pouty behavior only caused Neal's smiled to widen, and he called back, "Better pack fast!" When he received no answer in return, Neal just continued smiling, and for the first time in a long time, he realized how much he had missed Spencer…

~* AA *~

The flight had seemed shorter than usual as Neal and Spencer talked about what had been going on in their lives. They caught up, chatted about various things, told stories, and laughed throughout the whole flight, and they were almost positive they were the happiest two people on the plane. The flight ended too soon, and Neal was barely able to catch Spencer up to the plan before they got off the plane.

Neal and Spencer took a taxi to Neal's current 'home', a high-class, ritzy hotel that Spencer was positive neither of them could afford. Being a crafty conman, Neal had certainly found a way to pay for it, Spencer supposed.

"Tonight, we're going to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we'll have a quick breakfast and head over to the hospital." Neal said as he repacked his suitcase.

"Sounds like a plan." Spencer nodded as he quickly changed into his pajamas. Neal turned around as he did so; he remembered how 'shy' Spencer was as a kid, and he figured that wasn't something he grew out of. Spencer nodded gratefully at his friend, and Neal nodded back. With a final round of goodnights', they headed off to bed….

~* AA *~

Spencer Reid walked into the building with a grim frown and a stack of papers. He even managed to fake a few tears as he neared the information center of the hospital. The nurse behind the counter frowned when she saw the young and distressed man walk up to her counter. He sat down the stack of papers in front of him and sniffled.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"My… my father… he's a patient here." Spencer choked out. "He had pneumonia a few weeks ago, and they said he was admitted last week. I… I couldn't get here any sooner; I was in Las Vegas on a business trip! No one told me about what had happened until yesterday, and I ran as fast as I could back home. Why wasn't I notified sooner?" He begged miserably.

"I'm sorry sir." She frowned. "No one could find your number, or his records, for that matter. I'm assuming those papers in your hands could help us out….?"

"Yes, of course." He nodded. "His name's Michael Shultz, and I am his son, Jasper. I was told he could be released as soon as they found someone to take care of him. Can I…. Can I take him home?"

The secretary flipped through the files, nodding her head in approval. "Everything seems to be in order. I'll have a nurse prep your father to leave, and you should have him back in a few hours."

"Thank you." Spencer sighed, wiping tears from his eyes. "I haven't seen him since I moved to Vegas for my architectural firm- that was six years ago." He sighed. "It's been so long." He laughed nervously.

"Well, I'm sure everything will be fine." She reassured. "Go sit down; I'll be back with you in a minute." With a nod, Spencer sat down in the waiting room with his fake tears gone and a smile on his face…

~* AA *~

"Thanks Spencer." Mozzie said as he walked side-by-side with Spencer out of the hospital. "I hate hospitals."

"Yeah, I know." Spencer smiled. "I missed you, you know."

"Yeah, I do know, actually." Mozzie frowned "I've missed you, too. Things haven't been the same without you."

"Things change." Spencer nodded.

"Like you joining the FBI, for one thing."

"Neal told you?" he frowned.

"Don't worry Spencer; I'm not going to lecture you on why you shouldn't become a suit. You're a big boy now; you can make your own decisions."

"Thanks Mozzie; I appreciate that."

The rest of the short trip to the hotel room was made in silence. Unsure of what to say to each other, the two men decided not to speak at all as they made their way into the hotel room, where an anxious Neal waited for them.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Everything went according to plan. She believed the documents were real, and she really did think we were related." Spencer replied.

"Good." Neal smiled. Then, he turned around and produced a bottle of wine and three cups. The three men shared a mischievous look before sitting down at the small kitchen table. Neal cracked open the bottle and started pouring the glasses full of the substance.

Throughout the night, the three men talked on and off about various things until they grew silent again. Spencer would have to leave tomorrow, but none of them were ready for him to leave. They had missed each other's company over the years, and now that they were together again, they were all determined to stay in touch more often.

As Spencer fell to sleep that night, he thought about all the things that Mozzie and Neal had provided him with, and he frowned when he realized all that didn't matter any more. He was going to be an FBI agent; if he wanted to stay in contact with two criminals, he would have to be careful. If he was caught, he knew that he would lose his job and ultimately be sent to prison.

Spencer sighed as he turned over in his sleep. He was dreading tomorrow, but he knew his departure was inevitable. Finally, he allowed his eyes to fully close and his mind to be set free. As he let an unsettling sleep set over him, he heard footsteps sneaking out of the room and the sound of a door closing. If he had been more awake, he would have tried to stop his friends from leaving, but he knew it was best. Spencer had to wake up alone in that room tomorrow, and they all knew why quite clearly.

'_Things change, so let go and move on before someone gets hurt.'_

"…**.Well, not what I wanted. ;(. Ah well. I hope you guys enjoyed this story! Thnx for sticking with it! I love you all…!"**


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